


Savior of the Sea

by CucumbersInGold



Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: M/M, Stephen is a siren, a badass mermaid man, and Tony is Tony, because who else would he be, siren!au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-31
Updated: 2018-07-31
Packaged: 2019-06-19 06:19:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15504168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CucumbersInGold/pseuds/CucumbersInGold
Summary: When Tony Stark is blasted out of his home by the Mandarin’s forces, he sinks to the sea floor, left for dead. Luckily, a certain sea sorcerer has been watching Tony, and saves his life. But who is this merman? And how can Tony find him again while keeping his friends, family, and himself alive?





	Savior of the Sea

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Welcome to my first real multi-chapter fic!!! How exciting! Anyway uhhh no real notes here, takes place during Iron Man 3-ish (I play with it a bit). Stephen's siren form is derivative of a red-tailed butterfly fish but with a bit more blue thrown in there - give it a google, look at some fish!!!
> 
> [this is my tumblr](https://klimt-and-cumberbatch.tumblr.com/), come check me out!!!

Tony could never remember the sun having been so damn bright. When did it get that bright? He could feel it burning into his skin, he could barely manage to look at it from a squint, he could taste the rays on his tongue.

When the hell had it gotten to be like that?

He felt something of a hand press up against his face, turn it to the side. He realized he was coughing, then - and it burned. His lungs stung with sea water, the salty tang enough to bring tears to his eyes, tears that did nothing to weaken the shine of the sun above him.

The hand-thing was cold, and wet. It caressed his cheek as he spat and sputtered ocean out into the sand beneath him - sand? Sand. The grit was hard and chill to the side of his face. Definitely on a beach, then.

A series of quiet chirps and purrs sounded in his ear as Tony finally managed to catch his breath, turning back onto his back and staring up again at the bright, impossibly bright sun.

Was he dead? Is that what happened?

The last thing he remembered was the helicopters, and explosions, and falling -

“Oh, shit,” he wheezed, shoving himself to sitting up, looking over at where his house was.

Well, used to be.

It was a massive pile of crumbled rubble, still smoking, the too-bright sun quickly being obscured by copious clouds of thick, choking smoke.

Fuck.

“Fuck,” he gasped, moving to stand.

The last thing he remembered was going into the water. The suit had been mostly offline, he’d been getting ready to drown, his thrusters were shot -

He turned back to the shore as there was a sudden splashing of water. Whoever had pulled him to safety was gone. The suit was spread out, piece by piece, just about five feet from where he was standing. It was all present and accounted for, as far as he could see.

He took a deep breath, letting the air smooth over the sting in his throat. What was he going to do now? He looked back to the sea, and then back to what was left of his mansion. His heart stopped, and he took off at the best sprint he could manage.

Pepper.

He had to find Pepper.

—————————————

Stephen had been tending to his coral garden when the sky above him exploded.

He cursed himself as he swam as fast as he could towards the mouth of his little cave, hoping that whatever the hell the humans above were doing wouldn’t ruin his fields. He knew it was partially his fault, living this close to the shoreline. But here was the safest for him - his bright blue and pink tail was too eye-catching for living in open waters, traveling with the rest of his people.

That, and being a sea sorcerer, even in siren society, was considered rather taboo.

Best to live alone, then.

He let out a panicked trill as massive pieces of debris began to fall into the water, coming dangerously close to his corals. He dove into his cave, tossing his relics this way and that until he finally found his amulet - a pearl oyster strung together on shark’s teeth adorned with all manner of ocean treasures. He slipped it over his head and swam back out to his fields, closing his eyes as he channeled the magic from his amulet into his being.

With a few complex movements of his scarred hands, he managed to summon several runes in the water, pushing them together and then outward. He crafted a massive dome shield over his garden, swimming to the edge once he was sure it would hold.

He could just make out the house on the cliff overlooking his inlet, and he felt his heart sink. He often spent his spare time bobbing just above the surface, his sea glass eyes watching the man that lived in the house walk in front of the windows, or descend the stairs to where Stephen’s eyes couldn’t follow.

He hoped he was alright.

Stephen continued to watch, his tail flicking in agitation any time a piece of the home or furniture shattered against his conjured shield. It would take him time to clean all of this up, time that he could be using to study, or meditate.

He was just about to wait the rest out in the cave when he saw something glowing fall into the waves and drop to the sea floor like a stone. He swam closer to his barrier, pressing his webbed hands up against the crystal blue forcefield of magic.

What was that thing?

Then he saw it move. And he saw fingers, and a face.

A man!

The man!

He’d seen him in this form every now and then - but why wasn’t he flying away?

Stephen watched in horror as more pieces of the foundations of the man’s home fell into the sea, and directly on top of him. He couldn’t just sit back and watch as the man drowned.

He rolled his eyes. Humans. Learn to swim if you’re going to live on the coast.

He created a small gap for himself in his shield, tail pumping as hard as it could to reach the man in time. He focused his magic into his hands, easing their shakes as he shifted massive pieces of concrete and marble off of the man. He grabbed the man’s foot and tugged, pulling him out from where he was trapped and towards safety.

He swam for the shoreline, dragging the heavy piece of metal up behind him. He began methodically tearing the pieces off of the man underneath, relying on his spells to help him find seams and weak spots. Finally, the man laid bare before him, in sodden clothes and unconscious.

Oh.

Stephen ignored the jolt that ran through his body when his fingers finally made contact with the beautifully bronzed flesh before him - he had a job to do. He leaned forward and pressed his mouth to the man’s, breathing into him and filling his lungs with oxygen.

He pulled back when the man jerked to life, turning him onto his side and gently petting his face as his body gave up the sea.

He was handsome, there was no denying that. Handsome, and strong. Stephen felt the spirit of the man beneath him, and he felt brave and protective, a defender of his family and his people. Stephen smiled, his sharp teeth just barely visible beyond his cupid’s bow lips. This was the man he had been watching from afar for so long.

And here he was, up close. A treasure to be guarded carefully.

Stephen was just beginning to contemplate dragging him back into the ocean when the man’s eyes opened. Stephen kept him on his side as he cleared his lungs, crooning softly to him, offering clicks of his tongue in gentle consolation.

When he was certain there was no more ocean left in the man’s body, he pulled away, making his way clumsily back towards the water. It wouldn’t do to have a human know he lived so close - although, by the state of the wreckage, Stephen doubted the man would live there anymore.

He was well beneath the waves when the man found his feet again, and he watched him pelt off across the sand towards the wreckage. He keened sadly - he wished the man well, even if they were never to meet again. He turned back to his section of the ocean floor and began to clean up, obliterating the pieces of human construction with his spells.

Back to work. Always back to work.

—————————————

Later that night, stowed away in a hotel, Pepper sleeping on the opposite side of the bed, Tony was kept awake by vision after vision.

A splash along the ocean’s edge. A massive red and blue tail waving in a gentle current. The smell of salt, and seaweed.

Every time Tony thought he’d finally found sleep, he kept seeing the same face.

A grin that revealed a row of pointed teeth. Eyes as green as the sea, as bright as the sun, as intelligent as his own. A handsome human face, dark hair streaked with grey at the temples.

Soft lips pressed against his, and life-giving air being blown into his body.

He stood from the bed, heading into the bathroom to splash water on his face. He looked at himself in the mirror, shrugging his shoulders as tap water dripped from his goatee into the sink.

Where was all this coming from?

He glanced at the clock - nearly four in the morning.

“Fuck it,” he sighed. “I’m dealing with this shit tom - later today.”

He shuffled back to bed, laying down beside Pepper. He stroked her cheek gently, letting his eyes slip closed. He had to get some sleep, or she’d be worried in the morning. She was always worried.

His clothes that he’d been wearing earlier were hanging in the hotel bathroom, the salt crusting as they dried in the cool, artificial air. And tucked just in the right front pocket was a tiny pearl - a parting gift.

But from who?

Who was this magical man that wouldn’t let him sleep?

Tony sighed, putting his arm over Pepper’s waist. He kissed her forehead, trying to relax. He’d find out tomorrow.

He had to.


End file.
